Practitioners in the toy art have often used accessories of various types to enhance the play value of the toy figures which they produce. While practitioners have provided a great variety of such accessories and associated toys for use with toy figures, many of the more interesting toy accessories use various stretching and shape memory properties of plastics or similar materials. Some of such plastic or stretchable materials exhibits a so-called "posable" property characterized by the ability to retain a particular shape once the object is formed or distorted. Others using so-called shape memory employ a property in which the object tends to reassume a predetermined shape despite substantial distortion, stretching or other manipulation. The properties of posability and shape memory have, in some instances, been sufficiently interesting to toy manufacturers to result in the creation of novelty and toy products which are utilized in a stand-alone type product not necessarily associated with a toy figure or the like. In either event, the properties of posability or shape memory continue to provide interesting toy products and accessories for use with toy figures.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,370 issued to Shapero, et al. sets forth a POSABLE DOLL HAIR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE FOR THE SAME in which a doll supports a quantity of rooted hair fabricated to provide a posable or cold setting characteristic. The posable hair is formed of an amorphous thermoplastic material preferably having a high molecular weight in a compound including plasticizers, heat stabilizers and lubricants.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,687 issued to Munro sets forth a FORM RETAINING STUFFED FIGURINE comprising a body portion and head portion connected thereto. The body comprises a tubular outer covering, a film material substantially filling the tubular outer covering and a piece of elastic extending along at least a part of the tubular outer covering.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,190 issued to Tarnoff, et al. sets forth a DEFORMABLE ARTICLE including a flexible bladder formable in any desired shape having a sealable filling stem for receiving a moldable filling medium such as a cohesive mixture of hollow or solid microspheres and water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,312 issued to Pugh sets forth a GRIPPING HAND FOR DOLLS capable of gripping or holding an object therein without the need of any mechanical components. The hand is formed of a flexible plastic material which imparts prehensile characteristics to the hand and fingers.
Russian Patent SU1389801 sets forth a MOVING TOY having limb to body connecting hinges made from two sleeves rotated by thermal memory material plate. The sleeves can rotate relative to each other by means of a hinged plate made from thermal memory material connected by a spiral heating element to a battery. When the heating elements are energized, the thermal memory hinge undergoes movement.
Japanese Patent 63-238153 sets forth a DELAYED SHAPE RECOVERABLE ELASTOMER RESIN COMPOSITION FOR DOLLS which utilizes polynorbornene and styrene-diene elastomer added with phenol-based antioxidant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,336 issued to Kuhn sets forth a STRETCHABLE FIGURE EXHIBITING SLOW RECOVERY having a skin of elastic film and a filling of a high viscosity material. The skin may be formed of a natural or synthetic rubber capable of recovery after stretching three hundred percent of its original dimensions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,347 issued to Fauls sets forth a FLEXIBLE DOLL CLOSURE AND HEAD MOUNTING having a form defined by a moldable elastic skin and a viscous liquid filler and a separately molded head. A cylindrical member having a large diameter filling passage and external flanges spaced about its length provides closure means and head mounting to the figure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,140 issued to Kim sets forth TOYS WITH SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS which recover their original shapes after deformation when they are heated by electrical or thermal stimulus. The deformation and shape recovery action may be repeated.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,561,217 issued to Muir sets forth a SIMULATED FLOWER WITH THERMOSTATIC ACTION having a flower-like housing defining a plurality of petals formed of a metallic foil and nonmetallic layer which surround a conventional lightbulb. The heat from the lightbulb when illuminated causes bending of the petals and opening of the flower.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,851 to Goates sets forth a NOVELTY POSTCARD AND METHOD in which a thermocontractive plastic plate is initially adhered to a backing sheet in the form of a postcard. The thermocontractive plastic plate is painted or marked with designs, drawings or other indicia. When the card has reached its destination, it may be heated in an oven whereupon the thermocontractive plastic plate softens and shrinks to form a miniature size novelty item.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,110 issued to Ikematu, et al. sets forth a SHAPE MEMORY POLYMER RESIN COMPOSITION AND THE SHAPE MEMORIZING MOLDED PRODUCT THEREOF formed of a block copolymer having an A-B-A block structure in the polymer chain and having a weight average molecular weight within the range of ten thousand to one million.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,944,363 and 5,026,054 both issued to Osher, et al. set forth a resiliently deformable toy ball which is soft and supple and which provides an intriguing relaxing feeling when squeezed. The ball possesses a low rebound percentage due to its resiliently deformable nature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,089 issued to Lee sets forth a LIFE-LIKE TOY ANIMAL having a stuffed animal supporting a closed fluid containing liner filled with a viscous silicon or silicon water material. The weight of the silicon water material gives the animal a life-like weight. The liner is covered by a fur-like plush.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,915 issued to Liaw sets forth a DINOSAUR EGG having a translucent eggshell including a series of crack lines which form weakened fault lines on the eggshell surface. A compressed sponge dinosaur is located within the eggshell and is releasible when the egg is immersed in warm water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,085 issued to Nelson sets forth a PACKAGE TOY having a toy holding package which itself serves as a plaything comprising a structure with a central depression for holding a toyset and surrounding walls that have the appearance of human or animal bodies.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,997 issued to DiPaola sets forth a FISHING LURE AND METHOD. The fishing lure includes a flexible body having means for attaching a hook to one end and a fishing line to the other end. The body portion is formed of a flexible core element with radially extending flexible fibers.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have provided improvement in the art and in some instances have enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved and interesting toys and toy products.